Chapter 122 – Conclusion 1
Xiao Fang fell silent, all his nerves shifting into a highly vigilant, defensive mode. He had rarely been in this state since getting together with Fei Xiangnan. Except for when acting required him to be attentive, Fei Xiangnan would handle everything for him perfectly.
But this time was different. This time, he could clearly feel Xiao Qi’s reckless madness. Life and death hung by a thread. Xiao Fang clenched his fists. Right now, he absolutely could not panic. Even if he had to do something he found completely unacceptable, he would do it. He had to get back to Fei Xiangnan alive. As long as he was alive, any problem could be solved. If he died, even the grandest funeral would be nothing but a consolation.
He didn’t want to break Fei Xiangnan’s heart or leave him all alone again. He didn’t want his two children to lose their parent, or for Nuomici to lose a litter box scooper. He didn’t want to leave this world so soon.
Xiao Fang closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in a completely different state, quiet and silent.
“What? Scared? Isn’t the Xiao Fang I know fearless, with someone always backing him up?” As Xiao Qi said this, he felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. Revenge really was this pleasurable, like an opium poppy. He knew there was a tiger on the mountain, yet he charged ahead. For him now, nothing could compare to this feeling.
Xiao Fang’s fingertips curled slightly as he put on a relaxed expression. “Yeah, I’m scared. I’m just curious what kind of expert my dear brother hired to successfully kidnap me right under the noses of my bodyguards and assistant. Impressive.” Xiao Fang casually brought up the mastermind.
Did Xiao Qi have that kind of ability? He didn’t believe it. The bodyguards Fei Xiangnan had assigned him were at the level of mercenaries. Without some serious connections, how could a few small-time thugs possibly handle them? But right now, the most important thing wasn’t finding out who that person was, but using that person to remind Xiao Qi not to act rashly. He didn’t believe someone would be willing to help Xiao Qi just for the little money he had left. He must have some greater value to be exploited.
Xiao Qi was inexplicably reminded by this statement. He collected himself and said coldly, “You don’t need to know. For now, you should worry about yourself. I’m going to take back everything.”
Alright, Xiao Fang could breathe a sigh of relief now. His life was probably safe for the time being. Xiao Qi was afraid of that person, and the key factor determining his fate was clearly no longer in Xiao Qi’s hands. At most, it would just be some petty squabbles.
The destination was both within and beyond Xiao Fang’s expectations. After all, this place didn’t seem as secure as one might imagine. If it were the person behind the scenes, they would never have let him come here. But this place was also a source of deep-seated obsession for Xiao Qi; after all, the turning point of everything had happened here.
The driver was definitely no simple character. When he heard Xiao Qi threaten to blow up the car, his expression remained calm. He was clearly a well-trained individual. Even after getting out of the car and walking into the hotel, Xiao Fang didn’t dare make a reckless move. Otherwise, he’d be dealt with the moment he ran more than a meter away.
It was the same room as before. Xiao Qi was in a very relaxed state; he didn’t even think about tying Xiao Fang up after entering the room.
However, upon entering the room, Xiao Fang felt a trace of nostalgia. After all, he and Fei Xiangnan had met right here. Back then, his will to survive had been at its absolute peak, and Fei Xiangnan had been the quintessential big boss. The mix of gangster and pretentious aura had scared him witless. What had he said back then? Xiao Fang reminisced and suddenly let out a soft, unkind chuckle.
This chuckle was a huge provocation to Xiao Qi. He looked at Xiao Fang with a ferocious expression. “What are you laughing at? Are you laughing at how stupid I was to let you snatch away a great resource like Fei Xiangnan?”
Xiao Fang reined in his smile, forcing himself to stop reminiscing about his past with Fei Xiangnan here.
“You didn’t say you liked Fei Xiangnan that much back then, did you? You looked at him like you’d seen a ghost.” Xiao Fang’s casual remark successfully choked Xiao Qi up.
Xiao Qi said, exasperated, “That didn’t mean you had to pretend to be a good person! On the surface, you were helping me, but what was the result? You rose step by step, but you worked against me and made me end up like this.”
Xiao Fang found it a bit hard to understand his brother’s logic. “Where did I work against you?”
…
“You were the one who warned me to stay away from Fei Xiangnan. You were the one who told Dad about me and Fei Xiangnan being together. You were the one who wanted Dad to make me abort my child. When Dad’s company went bankrupt, you were the one who refused to help. I didn’t say a word to influence Yan Yunyang, and breaking up with him was your decision. I didn’t bribe the audience for my movie; we each filmed our own. The fact that your box office wasn’t as high as mine was entirely your own fault. I just want to know, haven’t you been the one working against me all this time?” Xiao Fang kindly laid it all out for him.
The bodyguard standing to the side twitched his brow. Four words crossed his mind: looking for trouble.
Xiao Qi was so cornered he could barely breathe. “How… how righteous you make it sound. You started bullying me when we were kids. I finally managed to hold my head high through my own hard work. Tell me, if your acting skills hadn’t suddenly gotten so good, if you hadn’t gotten together with Fei Xiangnan, would I be like this? You… you, people like you always have this arrogant attitude, looking down on everyone! You’ll never know how much I suffered to get here. You… you were just lucky you got with Fei Xiangnan!”
His desperate attempt to argue now bore no resemblance to the “flower on a high peak” image his fans had of him. He was acting completely insane. Xiao Fang knew it was impossible to reason with someone like this. If he spoke too clearly and the man couldn’t take it and decided to take him down with him, he couldn’t afford that loss.
Seeing Xiao Fang remain silent, Xiao Qi’s anger subsided a little. He let out a cold laugh, the madness in his eyes gradually fading, but the gloominess could never be erased. He could never go back to being the Xiao Qi who gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
“Cat got your tongue? People like you have never suffered. Your innate sense of superiority makes you think everyone else is just being unreasonable. You were just born better than others, had a better fate. I was born from a mistress’s womb, so I deserve to be bullied my whole life. I must have done a lot of good deeds in my past life.” Xiao Qi spoke with self-deprecation, but he didn’t linger in this self-pitying mood for long. He quickly changed his attitude again. “It’s about time. Xiao Fang, if you don’t want to die, you’d better do the first thing.”
Xiao Fang’s brow twitched. He could almost guess what Xiao Qi wanted him to do.
“Aren’t you most afraid of people finding out about you and Fei Xiangnan? Like the fact that you married him, and used his status to get all sorts of good resources. Oh, and about your child,” Xiao Qi said with a sinister smile.
Xiao Fang’s fist slowly tightened. Would he do something like that?
Of course. What’s the point of a good reputation if you’re dead? Xiao Fang slowly took out his phone and said without looking up, “Is that all?”
After several months, Xiao Qi was once again witnessing Xiao Fang’s survival instinct. He sold out his husband and son with such practiced ease. For some reason, he suddenly didn’t feel so happy anymore.
The marketing account had been found in advance. Actors always have all sorts of minor scandals. From the initial slow fermentation to the final explosion, there’s a process. Xiao Qi had long prepared for the fermentation, just waiting for this explosion. As long as Xiao Fang posted on Weibo to confirm it, it would be like pulling the last trigger on a floodgate. The torrent would be unleashed immediately.
Xiao Qi just couldn’t stand Xiao Fang’s current appearance. Resisting the urge to strangle him on the spot, he said, “That’s all. Saying anything else would just bring you and me into the open for comparison. I’m already a dead man walking. There’s no need to let others gossip about me anymore.”
Oh, that was a smart decision. Given Xiao Fang’s current standing, bringing up Xiao Qi’s matters again would be an obvious case of protesting too much. However, Xiao Qi’s determination to die made Xiao Fang a little nervous. Although Xiao Qi was detestable, he hadn’t reached the point where he deserved to die. This person was simply too crazy.
But on second thought, this was originally a scum-and-submissive BL novel. It was normal for the protagonist’s thinking to be extreme.
Before editing the post, Xiao Fang asked one last question. “If I post this, can you guarantee I won’t die?”
Xiao Qi sneered, “I can’t. But if you don’t, you’ll die right now.”
Fine. As a hostage, what right did he have to choose? Just do the work and stay alive. But it was a real shame to announce it now. He had worked so hard for so long, and this wasn’t the height he wanted to reach.
Xiao Fang had originally intended to take all the blame upon himself, but then he thought of how Fei Xiangnan treated him. Shouldn’t he trust the person who had always loved him more?
He deleted the half-edited message and wrote a new one.
Since everyone is so suspicious, I’ll just be honest. I’m tired of hiding it. Fei Xiangnan and I are not some virtual online ship. That’s right, we’re the real deal. He couldn’t stand the terrible resources I was getting, so he found all sorts of resources for me, forcing me to enjoy treatment different from others. I’m not happy about it at all.
And about what happened with ‘Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy,’ Ruan Tan only agreed to help because he was doing a favor for a friend. I wanted to prove myself through my own efforts. I don’t like him finding resources for me at all. He’s always throwing money at me, never considering my feelings. He even made me have a child, and then he actually complained about having a son, constantly nagging in my ear about wanting a daughter. I’ve had enough. I’m just a puppet. I have to do whatever he wants me to do. Every time I see everyone’s speculation online, I find it ridiculous. Fei Xiangnan is no gentle top; he’s a black-bellied, innocent-looking but malicious man. He’s always trying to mold me into what he wants me to be, never caring about my feelings!
I don’t want to be a puppet who gets special treatment and is controlled even when participating in a variety show anymore!
Xiao Fang handed the draft to Xiao Qi. “What do you think? Is this okay?”
Xiao Qi quickly scanned it. On top of his hatred for Xiao Fang, he now felt a bit more disgust. “A person like you would really say anything for your own sake. To think Fei Xiangnan treated you so well, and you’d put all the blame on him for your own reputation. I’d love to see his face when he sees this. He’ll probably be heartbroken, won’t he? To find out this is what the person he loves most really thinks of him. Xiao Fang, this is your true face, isn’t it?”
Don’t assume that just because you like to eat shit, the whole world shares your taste, okay?!!
All sorts of curses were flying through Xiao Fang’s mind, but on the surface, he maintained a relaxed expression. “Do you think there’s anything else to add?”
Xiao Qi sneered, “No, it’s great. It’s the perfect opportunity to let that proud man see what kind of thing he’s been in love with this past year. Xiao Fang, what’s the difference between you and someone like me?” With that, Xiao Qi posted it for him.
The president of Xiao Fang’s fan club was the first to see the Weibo post. She occupied the top comment spot and silently posted: Holy crap.
But that comment didn’t stay up for more than three seconds before it was completely washed away by marketing accounts. All sorts of scandals about Xiao Fang and Fei Xiangnan spread like snowflakes in the sky. The Fei family’s peaceful days had barely begun before they were met with another obstacle.
The virtuous and capable husband, who had been diligently cooking and taking care of the children at home, saw the message at the same time. He… froze.